Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In today's article, editor Domargues that Monster Hunter World needed to leave Nintendo behind to make a different success of itself, but that the wider series shouldn't abandon Ninty hardware forever.

It’s a bittersweet feeling seeing a franchise that’s become to intrinsically associated with Nintendo achieve genuine success on other platforms, but nonetheless we’re chuffed to see Monster Hunter World riding high in charts and selling so well on PS4 and Xbox One. Capcom’s latest incarnation might not be perfect - an obtuse matchmaking system and a deep array of subsystems that aren’t exactly rookie-friendly being the two biggest issues - but it’s still a fine sequel.

As harsh as the reality is to accept, Capcom’s long-running series needed to make the transition to home consoles, and for that to happen it had to embrace the sheer processing power and larger install bases of PS4 and Xbox One (and consciously not include Switch in that lineup). It’s been almost 10 years since the series last had an outing on a current-gen home console relevant to its era, and the move to more powerful hardware brings with it an experience with more flesh on its bones and an audience filled substantially with players who have never played the series before.

It's proved to be a shrewd move, even if it stings a little from a Nintendo perspective. It’s landed at the top spot in the UK charts with some robust sales following its launch last week, and has reportedly shifted a whole 5 million units worldwide in retail and digital formats (an impressive feat when you consider it came out on Friday and doesn’t include the PC version slated for later in the year).

The move away from the relative confines and limitations of Nintendo’s handhelds (and they were limitations, however cold that might sound, both in terms of technical power and the size of the audience) has paid dividends for Capcom with reports its share price has soared by 4.9% - the highest its been in 17 years. You can hardly argue with figures like that.

So, we know the decision to take Monster Hunter World to other platforms was the right one for this particular version, but that doesn’t mean the series should see its time with Nintendo as a closed chapter. Whether new players or critics acknowledge it not, Monster Hunter World owes much of its winning formula to the way the franchise was honed and perfected on 3DS (and on PSP, lest we forget). In fact, considering how regressive and convoluted matchmaking feels as of launch, there’s an argument that multiplayer was comparatively easier in handheld form.

When the series debuted back on PS2 in 2004 it wasn’t a big seller, and it took the transition to PSP for the series to break away from the then-unperfected world of online gaming and focus on the power of local multiplayer for it to really take off. Of course, it’s always been a Japanese phenomenon (handhelds have traditionally been bigger in Japan), but its shift onto 3DS and the run of exclusive titles (including and ultimately concluding in the west with the excellent Monster Hunter Generations) refined its myriad systems while keeping that squad-based hunting at the centre of its formula.

I hate to say this, but we’re never going to see Monster Hunter World on Nintendo Switch. I know you all want it - I want it, too - but there’s simply no way Capcom could fit that entire experience onto Nintendo’s plucky little handheld without making one too many concessions that would ultimately rob the magic that’s made it such a success on other platforms. The answer here isn’t the need for a port of this particular game, but a Monster Hunter sub-series all Switch’s own.

The first option would be for Capcom to finally release a localised version of Monster Hunter XX in the west. It made its debut on Japanese Nintendo Switches back in August 2017, but the port from 3DS failed to meet sales expectations (with a sell-through of less than 50% of its initial shipment, and less than 100,000 copies sold after its first week). Capcom certainly had high expectations for the series when it hit Switch, but considering it came a mere five months after the 3DS version, it was never going to sell as much as a Switch exclusive.

The success of Monster Hunter World is the west could convince Capcom to bring the instalment overseas and simply skip 3DS altogether in terms of a port. It would certainly be the most inexpensive route for riding the renaissance of the brand and a great way to finally bring a tried-and-tested formula to a console as popular as Nintendo Switch.

The other route is to give Switch - and its fast growing audience - a Monster Hunter of their own. It’s perhaps the less likely option at this stage - Capcom isn’t one to blow money on spin-offs when it can make a quick buck by re-releasing classic entries, a la Resident Evil on PS4/XO - but it’s the kind of thing the publisher should be considering now that Monster Hunter has attained modern day triple-A status.

Nintendo helped keep Monster Hunter alive, kicking and relevant during its handheld years. Let’s hope those halcyon days haven’t been hunted into extinction by the success of Monster Hunter World on home consoles.

So that's Dom's take on Monster Hunter World and the franchise's relationship with Nintendo going forward. Do you think Nintendo Switch deserves a Monster Hunter entry in the west? Let us know what you think below. You can also check out Alex's latest video on the official Nintendo Life YouTube channel. Huzzah!

Bearded malcontent Dom has been writing about games for so long he's practically forgotten what reality looks like. Over his career he's written for just about every site and mag out there. You'll almost always find him catching Pokémon or yelling at dragons in Skyrim.

I always knew this game would sell gangbusters. Monster Hunter doesn't need to be beholden to any hardware company, it's a behemoth, it'll sell well on any current hardware. I think Nintendo might need to pay for some love again(though it's possibly too late). It could be why it was mostly on Nintendo hardware for the last number of years. That deal appears to have expired and Sony may have nipped in there and put a few stipulations in place in a new contract.

Of course Monster Hunter games should come to the Switch. It's a successful platform, in both Japan and the West, that happens to double as both a console and a handheld. It's the perfect platform for Monster Hunter.

Another game that there should be no reason to not come to Switch.The trouble is that now it’s making money maybe Capcom can’t be bothered.Hopefully that won’t be the case and 3rd parties will continue to bring AAA games.

I've never played a MH game, but this doesn't surprise me. From what I see of the game, PS4 graphics will really do the game justice, and I can't imagine the 3DS was ever the best console for controlling the game. I know I get hand cramps from playing intense games.

As good as the Switch is, the world would never have looked as good as it will on PS4. Shame they couldn't do a scaled down version of it like with DOOM.

Chuffed? Actually thrilled or semi-sarcastically thrilled that it is doing great, despite not being on a Nintendo product? Always thought that word meant something like, in conversation "I'm absolutely delighted that my ex is doing well for herself, and no longer [blank] (but tonally implying it doesn't reallllly hold much bearing on me or my situation)."

The ambitious scope and visual prowess of this particular game definitely rule out a Switch port, but I entirely expect a new Monster Hunter game to emerge on Switch at some point in the future. Capcom surely can't ignore the runaway sales success the Switch has seen, especially in Japan, where Monster Hunter is clearly most popular.

There are more than 3 million Switch consoles in Japan alone. By the time a new Monster Hunter could hit the system, that number will be huge. We all know how much Japan loves portables and this series. A new Monster Hunter by 2020 for the Switch could easily sell upwards of 5 million on this platform alone. I wonder if Capcom can comprehend this and how much they love money.

JUST REMEMBER onnnnne thing. This game costs a helllll of a lot more to make than any past version, and was heavily advertised. It needs to sell HUGE to make a profit. But yeah, we won't get Monster Hunter World on Switch or any sort of new mainline series. No clue what form it'll be in, but I'd guess...maybe a Legacy style collection but with upscaled and remodeled (where needed), like XX is? If not that, Monster Hunter Heroes style games. It's good money for Capcom and doesn't consume years of their time, keeps the IP alive in conversation while dev on the next mainline takes place.

Can't see World working too great on Switch without some heavy downgrades. PS4 Pro even struggles with certain parts. Am very curious how the PC port in Autumn turns out.

I can imagine the next monster hunter hitting all consoles. World seemed more like an experiment in pushing the formula than an actual base for all future sequels.

Still can't see why Capcom has yet to localise XX. Can understand making people starve in hopes of more World sales in the West, but now its just free extra money. Even with it being easy to import the game is NOT very friendly to those unable to understand much Japanese.

PSP arguably did more for Monster Hunter than the 3DS did. With how much they achieved with MHW because of not being constrained by the hardware of 3ds or Switch and the reception the game has got because of it, they won't be going back. Will be surprised if we ever see a new Monster Hunter title on Switch/3DS

The hardware odds of MHW on Switch are up to Capcom to gauge, not gamers. I welcome being corrected, but how much "magic" does the title really have besides crisper graphics that wasn't already polished and harvested during Gen 7? So far the officials sound unwilling for different reasons - Big C will likely proceed to capitalize on the regained buzz with more titles/updates/spinoffs, and there's no telling if there will be time and HR for porting MHW (whose scope would still likely spell 2019 release date at earliest) rather than a new entry that accounts for the Switch and its offerings. The local co-op repeatedly discussed in the article would be one of the notable things the game would have to grow anew after a debut on Sony "buy a second DualShock and have fun trying to collect a library of uses for it" PlayStation 4, wouldn't it?

Time will tell. I don't care much since I have a number of equally time-consuming MHs to get acquainted with first (albeit Freedom Unite looks like the earliest I may have accessible to me), and my interest still prioritizes the franchise's more plot-heavy followers like God Eater and Toukiden. If MHW never happens on Switch, there'll be remote play as well (maybe Belarus will even have 5G and cheaper traffic plans by then? XD). As for the series on Switch itself, it looks like a matter of time. Worldwide and particularly Japanese sales are an eloquent factor.

Loyalty is nothing in business. Sony paid for exclusivity in Japan, paid for advertising, and are reaping the benefits. Exclusives sell consoles, as Nintendo knows all to well, and Sony is simply playing that game.

Doesn't matter where the audience comes from, lest we forget, that it began on PlayStation and hopped to Nintendo afterwards.

@Paraka Sony is deep into this game, I doubt Capcom will have to do much extra to turn a profit.

About half of these soapbox articles by the new editor are about games that first appeared on other systems. I guess you've got to write about what you know, but I get the feeling he'd be more at home on Push Square.

Monster Hunter World is a pretty phenomenal game. Its actually the first Monster Hunter I can get into and I am having a blast. Hope that Nintendo Switch gets some Monster Hunter love, but for now, just waiting for Ryu and Sakura to join the hunt

Eh, I just sort of stopped caring when it wasn't available on Switch. I've never been super into the game, but it's always seemed to me like one of those super time consuming games that you need to be able to sink grinding time into, and I usually restrict those to handheld. Gonna pass for now, I might pick up a Switch port if it drops. In the meantime I'm keeping my PS4 to short and sweet titles with big spectacle that the Switch can't play.

The reason I say this is, because MH World is the new standard of what a mainline Monster Hunter needs to aspire to. Capcom can't possibly scale it back now, after all this new found success.People say 'power' doesn't matter, but it really does & it's starting to show. Heck even the PS4 struggles with the game. It feels like it's about to take off whenever I boot it up.

First of all, to anybody who wants this on Switch... the game is incredible, yet it’s performance kind of makes me want to upgrade to a PS4 Pro. It’s understandable if a port never happens. On that note, much like alternating between classic Mega Man and Mega Man X games, I would still gladly play a localized MHXX on Switch, even after being blown away by MHW. It is a masterpeice.

@Menchi187
I agree with you that the series was really made on the PSP (still the biggest selling ones I believe, though World may top them), but considering how popular the Switch is in Japan (and is basically now THE handheld), I think a big new Monster Hunter game (MH5?) will definitely be coming to the Switch sooner or later.

@Baldspur This isn't street drug dealers who moved up from selling nickle bags to whole bricks... That's not the case for game developers. To me, it seems like their is constantly a tug of war or shady deals going on behind closed doors and it's OBVIOUS with what Capcom has released so far they never thought the Switch would be a success, they didn't even bring XX to Switch in America but when they released the Wii U they definitely made profit from the Monster Hunter they released on it. Capcom is the issue and Konami are just like them as well. I for one am cutting down on supporting older developers because it seems like over the years, the companies have been overtaken by people who don't care about games or their consumers, only the numbers. Both are important.

@Jack_Goetz Well Monster Hunter for quite a while (although not since the beginning as many have already pointed out) used to be quite a big Nintendo staple, and always sold well and sold many Nintendo systems alongside it, so it's only natural to write an article about the fastest selling Monster Hunter game that just came out and it's notable lack of being on a Nintendo console for the first time in a long while - it's a bit of a blow for Nintendo, and definitely one worth exploring

@BranJ0 It's not a blow for Nintendo in any shape or form. People saying Monster Hunter is a system seller is like saying the Dark Souls series is a system seller. It was just a high selling game on a Nintendo system. If that was the case the Wii U would have sold a LOT more, what it really is, is people that only play Sony or Microsoft always wanted those games and never got them, plus there is nothing like Monster Hunter, just like there is nothing like a Dark Souls.

@DEZn00ts I totally agree with you. Those that thought and in certain cases ddid not want Switch to succeed are too worried about looking stupid by now realeasing games for it. We may lose out on certain games but ultimately it’s their loss.

I picked this up on PS4 on Friday, I’ve got to say..... massively unimpressed. I’m only at the beginning of the game but it is no more visually impressive than Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii U and is not an amazing game to play either. Nothing beyond precious monster hunter iterations.

There is also no excuse that this couldn’t be made for the switch except for cart size limitations. May find this one traded in by next week

@Baldspur Agreed. People can talk all they want about how Capcom had influence in Nintendo Putting 3GB of ram in the Switch but everything they've released and talked about shows they had no real interest in the system.

@Qwertyninty It's crazy how people like you sign up to a Nintendo forum just to talk trash about the system. If this is the platform to express your opinion, on a fan site... The rest of your life must be very saddening.

Lol why do some people act like this is a nail in the coffin for 3rd party from capcom or other devs just because it is now successful!Who cares! Fair play to capcom, I for one am happy for the ps4 and Xbox owners as they can experience it. Apparently many are saying it’s the best Monster Hunter in the series! So who knows what the future will bring, god knows we got an amazing year coming on the switch.

Personally speaking I am happy to see the series become a success on other platforms but that is mainly because I own the other consoles. Now if I was a Nintendo only gamer I would be super disappointed since MH has always been one of my go to franchises for online gameplay. Regardless I won't shed a tear if I have to buy it for Xbox One, it will be fun no matter where you end up playing it.

A new Monster Hunter exclusively for Switch at this point would mean going backwards for Capcom. With the great reception World is getting, there is no way that the next MH is not going to end up in PS4/Xbone/PC, and since World already set the bar high any improvement on it would be too much for the Switch to handle. On the other hand, spinoffs like Monster Hunter Stories should be possible.

I only got in a few quest on World but I like what I’m playing so far. I enjoyed playing MH on Nintendo platforms over the years, but I got no problem with the series hitting other consoles. Glad it’s off to a good start.

I'm grateful that MHWorld is what it is. I've been a devotee of the series since MHF on PSP, and I've been trying to get my other friends into it for years, but they tend to dislike handhelds. Now we're all hunting together on PS4 and it's a blast (except for that pesky 'need to watch the cutscenes' annoyance for joining quests).

That being said, it would be really terrible if Capcom doesn't at least port XX. So many MH games have been localized, why not one more? It's virtually guaranteed to sell. If XX got ported, I could honestly see myself playing that more often than World, but I would enjoy both for sure.

What puzzles me is that after Capcom re-evaluated the Switch market, they decided to step up support, busted out the Resident Evils, adding the Mega Man Collections but still nothing on Monster Hunter for the west? I don’t get that at all!

@KilleyMC That, or a ground-up MH game, but it'll be a "lesser" version due to the Switch just not being as strong. But people demand their portability, so too do they accept the weaker hardware for it, right? And the games that do, or don't come with it.

@DEZn00ts You’re giving your own opinion or hadn’t you noticed? I am a Nintendo fan but that doesn’t mean you can’t say certain things could be better and express those views. Just because NL is a fan site doesn’t mean you have to be a happy clapper and become a fanboy!Being a fan means enjoy the system, the games from Nintendo. It also means you can talk about things that could be better!That’s what forums are for...opinions and views and we don’t have to agree. Nobody forces you to reply or to read my comments. What is sad is that you keep replying because your life is sad and you have nothing else to do.

@Baldspur I totally agreed with you, I think me and you got mixed up somewhere lol. We never had any type of conversation about what you mentioned in your last comment. Maybe my comment about someone else went to you somehow? But If you scroll up I said I agree about Capcoms lose.

@joey302 Probably because when they began development on Worlds, Switch wasn't even a thing. That seems to be what Capcom says anyways. But, even with it selling well in the West, it's still quite the Japanese game, and I'd imagine that Capcom is either figuring out how to get it ported to Switch (since that is especially flying off shelves in Japan as well as everywhere else), or make some other MH game for it beyond XX.

I do have to ask. What exactly does Worlds do that people believe would prevent it from coming to Switch even if it were downscaled? I'm looking at game footage of the game, even in 4K, yet I don't really see what would prevent a Switch version at something like 720p @ 30fps with reduced visuals, particle effects, etc, but nothing to indicate that it would ruin the experience or feel of Worlds.

@DEZn00ts No tears here. Forums are places to share views. I’ll post when I want to cheers unless you are an admin and want to stop it. Other than have you ever considered that you are simply an oxygen thief with no brain 🧠 or ability to communicate on an intellectual level? 😜

Here we go with this again. This subject is exhausting to think about at this point. Hopefully they'll throw Switch a (monster)bone soon, but I won't hold my breath. It's one of my favorite franchises. If they don't, it's too bad. I'm just not interested in a PS4 version, which is my only alternative.

@Discostew to your point I ageee- I mean Doom was downscaled but still overall came out just fine on Switch. Not a huge Monster Hunter fan I was just trying to figure out Capcom’s business logic and overall approach to the Switch is all.

They should bring out World on the Switch but by saying they should because Switch is a succesfull platform I will dissapoint you all.

PS4 sold 70+ mln systems worldwide, Xbox One has at least 30+ mln and I won't even count PC, bringing World on Switch makes sense but not because it sells well but because World in multiplatform compared to older titles.

I would be happy to at least see XX in the west on the Switch, prefer World on PC in 60fps.

I can't help but feel that releasing XX in the West in a post-World... world, might feel a bit of underwhelming.

The Japanese release of the game came many months before the release of World, and even then - in its home market, on a portable, it failed to sell particularly well.

Releasing it to the West after the far more groundbreaking World has already released would not really have much on an impact. It's a port of a game released on seven year old hardware, which itself was an expansion of a game released two years earlier.

The original Monster Hunter X dates back to November 2015. Casting a slightly burnished expansion of that against that its 2018 powerhouse-driven bigger brother would probably look a bit... limp.

That said, they'd be mad not
to get something on the Switch, as it's the perfect console. I think the best bet might be to release a game what builds off a lot of the developments World brought to the series, but tailor made to suit the Switch hardware.

The gap between Switch and PS4 is probably tighter than Switch and 3DS. If they can make something that runs well on Switch without feeling decidedly 'last gen', then they'll be laughing. But XX is probably not that game.

Given Capcom's explanation, it's really a matter of timing honestly. They wanted the most power they could find and weren't going to wait for Switch to join the party at the time development actually begun, so I can't be mad at them. They, like everyone, are witnessing how the Switch is selling phenomenally and rapidly expanding it's userbase. Do we feel a little cheated? Of course we do. Does Capcom realize that they probably could've waited to get a piece of the Switch-pie? I'm sure they do. But unless Capcom cuts Switch a "World-lite", localized XX, or a follow up in the vein of X and XX, we might as well settle down for now. It stings me, trust me, but I will have to get an Xbox1 or PS4 if I want to continue the good times. But for now, I'll live with it-- It'll give me time to play a bunch of other experiences good ol' MH robbed me of in the hours I spent on it lol!

It's simply business. If Capcom management think they'll make a decent profit from a port, then a port will come - it's got nothing to do with the performance level of the Switch. We love our games and we love our systems, but for a publisher it is driven by the bottom line

Well, it's Capcom. The company's decisions are shrouded in mystery. Monster Hunter World is an awesome game and I'm glad to see it doing so well. I'd LOVE a Switch port, but seeing as Capcom has stated multiple times they have no intention on bringing it to the system, I'm going to settle for the PC port this fall. At the very least, I'd hope to see XX brought over to the States. Granted, it'll seem a bit outdated... but I don't mind. Give me my portable Monster Hunter!

Ive sort of lost my interest in MH , to many rehashes of the same old thing over and over though I will say the Nintendo Switch is a perfect platform for a Monster Hunter game Capcom has to realize this especially in Japan. But as for MH world missing the Switch I dont care there are so many amazing titles on and headed to the Nintendo Switch Im to busy to notice a MH game not showing up .

I won’t even read this pile of useless salt.The series is where it belongs.If this was on a Nintendo console you’d be screaming at the miracle now, but since is on another console it’s “just fine”...Can’t hide your lack of professionality behind a “soapbox”, you are just a little fanboy who doesn’t want videogames as an entertainment media to prosper, all you care about is that your corporation of choice “wins”.The smashing success of Switch isn’t enough for your petty little ego?

I agree with the fidelity part. I've played hundreds of hours of monster hunter. I love the amazing graphics of this new world game, but I won't get to play it because I can't rationalize yet another system just for one game. The actual gameplay looks essentially identical, and so do the monster movements, hunter movements. The new movement options and gathering options aren't exactly gameplay changing, but they are cool. The upgrades to me, appear purely cosmetic. The particle effects are definitely impressive, but those don't make the game any different, really.

It's really just better quality images, the actual graphical quality in some ways is literally the same. For example, the guy's feet STILL just cut right through long armor when he's walking around. The little dust (scales??) bursts from the monster when you hit it actually look worse to me in some ways than the old "flash of light" effects.

Look people the switch is hd console also. What do you think 1080 and 720 are. I feel for all those fans that want a monster hunter game for the switch. Yes people have a ps4 & Xbox 1 to play with, but they can't take it with them. Hopefully Capcom should realize how special the switch is, and if they would sell monster XX around the world, they would have better sales.

I agree with this article. Although I haven't played a MH game I respect the series and fan base though. It looks like it plays similar to PSO. If it does then I'll purchase it in Switch if Capcom decides to make one. I'm positive that they will at some point for all regions.

From interviews I've read, work started on this game 4 years ago. At that time the PS4 was setting records, Xbox One was actually out-pacing sales of the 360 despite the negative press and Wii U was in the crapper with Nintendo being as irrelevant in the home console space as it has ever been. Nobody could've seen the Switch success coming, even if it was far along in development at that time, so the choice had to be made if the series was going to be brought back to home consoles to go with the more powerful ones that were selling better. It's also worth noting, Monster Hunter did debut as a PlayStation franchise and found success there, so it isn't like this is some out of left field move like taking Resident Evil back in the early 00's away from PlayStation in favor of Nintendo (a decision that actually benefited the series quite a bit).

I do feel for MH fans who game exclusively on Nintendo though, and I'd love to see the game on Switch also, but it probably won't happen. Still, Capcom brings its series every where, I'd be shocked if a new MH isn't made for Switch. What form it takes who knows but they didn't put a number on World so maybe there could be two subsets now. World on the PS and Xbox, the numbered entries on Nintendo.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but haven’t we heard this song and dance from Capcom before with Street Fighter V? How it had huge preorder demand and sold half a million copies in its first week?

Yeah, I’ll wait for quarterly’s. The appeal of Monster Hunter was the portability factor, whether it was PSP or 3DS, and having anyone hop in at any time with LAN. For PS4 and Xbox, there’s a pay wall. AND matchmaking is currently broken too. I’m not saying it will, but this game has the perfect storm for sales that just flatline.

@DEZn00ts wait you are talking about the system I owned and bought day 1. Just like I did with EVERY Nintendo system. My post was made to say I have no faith in capcom to bring this game to switch. They will see this as a game outside of the switch capability and market. Stop looking for a fight or argument or a reason to talk down to another user.

This game is incredible. I really doubt they could port it to the Switch, and I don't know if owning a PS4 and my copy of MHW I would buy a lesser Switch game. Mostly because this franchise is VERY time consuming, I'd rather play something else on my handheld.

I still think there's a strong possibility for a port. In b4 the usual "Switch is 2 week" comments, I think the game could run on Switch with some drawbacks. As a few people here already mentioned, development kinda clashed with the Switch's release. Given the sales of the Switch worldwide, but especially in Japan, I have a hard time believing Capcom wouldn't port it over.

I'm just wondering why we have some folks who are apparently happy that it isn't on Switch...

This is like the 12th article about this game on NintendoLife since its announcement, and it's not even coming to Switch. Time to get over it already guys. It's just one game.

This series isn't going to permanently not be on Nintendo platforms. You guys, as a site, are a bit too hung up about this. There's a lot of other games out there you know. I love MH more than anyone, but one MH game skipping Nintendo isn't the end of the world. There's plenty of fish in the sea, and while MH is one of my favorite series, and while I would have preferred to be playing it on Switch, I'm just happy to be playing it at all. So we don't get portability for this one. We'll live. And... we'll get it for the next one anyways. In the meantime, we can still enjoy this game, and despite it being a tad harder to deal with, we can even enjoy MHXX on Switch (I know I am).

Yes, it's a great game, but Monster Hunter has always been great. People just didn't want to pay attention when it was on Nintendo consoles. They'd shrug it off and pretend it was just another OK-ish game. But the moment it comes to other platforms, it's the best thing since sliced bread.... well ya, it is, but we've known this for years. We've been playing it and enjoying it for years. People are only just now realizing it's a really fun game.

At the end of the day, Monster Hunter was never a 1st party franchise. It was never a "Nintendo game". So it was going to head to other platforms at some point. And I know that's not what upsets people- nobody cares if it goes to other platforms, just so long as it continues to come to Nintendo. I get it. Believe me I want Monster Hunter on Switch too. Now that we finally have a capable HD portable console, with detachable controllers and a kickstand and all that jazz... it's too perfect. I get it. But patience. Switch was not around when they started development. And as much as I would love to see it, it's probably best to keep MHXX in Japan. The next game on Switch needs to be a new entry. They are not going to flush their portable market down the toilet. This game, if you account for 20% digital purchases and 75% sell through rate, has managed about 3 - 3.25 million physical copies sold across 2 platforms, with a AAA budget. Portable entries do that much on a single platform and low budgets. So believe me, they're gonna bring the next game over. But for now, if you're a fan of the series, just enjoy World.

@Aerona I have MHW and want to know how it’s a sub series. Like, I’ve played every entry since 3U and it doesn’t seem any different (other than usual updates like new monsters or other small quality of life improvements) plus Capcom did say it was essentially “Monster Hunter 5”, they just aren’t numbering it to make it seem new and shinier...

I'll try to say this respectfully because I know you truly believe what you're saying. But please let me explain to you why you're wrong, and why you should not be upset.

The fact of the matter is development started in 2014. Practically 2 years after the launch of the Wii U. There simply wasn't a viable Nintendo platform around at the time. Let that sink in for a little bit. They finish MH4U. They want to finally make a higher budget entry to get more western fans. Releasing on PS4/X1/PC is the obvious move. The series is not Nintendo exclusive, so they have no reason in the world to not release a game on those systems, sell more and bring in more players.

The issue doesn't stem from MH releasing on other platforms, but from not releasing on Nintendo. But here's the thing. What Nintendo platform should they have put it on when they started development... Wii U? It was an utter failure and wouldn't even be around by the time the game would finish anyways. 3DS? This game isn't going to run on 3DS. By the time Capcom even knew what Switch was, it was summer 2016. And the game was already years into development. Not only that, but Switch hadn't yet proven itself, and even if it had it still takes years to build up an install base. Not to mention the power disparity. And believe me when I tell you this game will not run on Switch. It won't. This is quite possibly the most demanding game I've seen on PS4. And even then it struggles to keep 30fps.

Keep in mind, they're not "moving MH off Nintendo platforms". You can bet Monster Hunter will be on Nintendo for years and years to come, until the day it finally stops selling, which will probably be never. It's just one entry that had to skip, and for legitimate reasons. Not to mention, it was on Sony platforms just as much as Nintendo. This series has bounced around since it's inception. What's important to remember though, is that there is a huge market for portable MH. You can believe their next game will be a Switch exclusive or multiplatform with Switch included (they could build ground up and up-port to other platforms ala 3DS-Wii U, but it would have to be done from the start).

At the end of the day, it's just video games man. It's just a hobby we do in our spare time to keep us from being bored. It's important to remember that because it really puts things in perspective when emotions start flaring up.

If you have a PS4/X1/PC, enjoy World. It was made for you and for me. There are no "Nintendo fans" and "Sony fans". Just video game fans. And if you are a fan of this series, then they made this game for you to enjoy. So enjoy it! If you don't have one of those platforms, then just play something else (there's plenty of other games to play- this is 1 game out of a million video games to play). And in 2 years or so, we can look forward to finally getting a new MH game on this sexy HD portable console.

First I enjoyed MH on PSP. It was truly the best co-op moments in my life.Then I bought a Vita because surely Capcom would make a Vita version next. No, they jumped over to 3DS. After a few years I joined the club and bought a N3DS and all was well again. I got to play both MH3U and Generations.And the story repeats once again. I buy a Switch and Capcom is back on Playstation again.Could you make up your gad damn mind!!?I know it's my fault for not being able to afford two consoles and just being unlucky but Capcom is really starting to p*** me off!

@Zimon
I hear ya. For someone who can't afford 2 consoles, I can understand that frustration.

But unlike Vita, Switch already got a MH game within 6 months of launch. It may not have been localized but that was only because of their focus on World. I think it's pretty clear they have a significant interest in releasing MH on Switch (why else fumble over themselves trying to get MH announced for the platform before World was revealed?). Plus it's just common sense- there's not a single generation of MH that didn't receive a portable entry. Vita missed out because 3DS was the better portable alternative. But Switch... it's the sole heir to the portable market. It's going to get a 5th generation MH title. It may not be now, and I know patience is a virtue easier observed than demonstrated, especially when there's a new game out now and you want to play it. But all in good time. Before this generation is over, Switch should have 1, maybe even 2 new MH titles. Of that I am certain.

@XenoShaun Toukiden is actually really good! More rpg focused and no combining of items. In my opinion it's not better nor worse than Monster Hunter. It's just a hunting game and I think it deserves to stand on it's own. Especially the sequel. <3

I keep hearing that it's not technically possible for it to run on the Switch and then never explain why as if that's all that needs to be said. Is it graphics? Those can be toned down. Is it the fact that there is no loading between zones? I don't see how, but if someone wants to explain why please do. What am I missing that makes it "not technically possible" for it to work?

Quick edit, I'm not complaining that it's not on the Switch right now. I get it. Development started ages ago and it wouldn't have been easy for them to get a small team going to port it to the Switch when they did learn about it/get dev kits. My issue is just people saying "it's impossible" without explaining why. I personally am probably going to get it on PC assuming no surprise announcement occurs between now and then regarding a Switch version.

@JaxonH I hope you are right... I fear World could be "too sucessful" which is great for the franchise but it could also entice Capcom to focus on a console sequel instead of handheld port or new mh.If we are unlucky this could be the end of the portable monster hunters.

@Zimon
Oh, it'll be successful, and they probably will want to make a console sequel. Specially now that they've got an engine running. But no matter how successful it is, it doesn't negate 4.1 - 4.3 million physical sales per portable entry (and that was on a single platform with a very low budget). World has totaled 5 million shipped + digital. So 20% digital purchases and 75% sell through (just hazarding a guess) means it's sold about 3 - 3.25 million physical copies. By the time everything is said and done it'll probably have sold about 1 million more than 3DS entries. But it will have taken a massive AAA budget and multiple platforms to achieve said success. I'm sure they can imagine what a portable entry would bring in that also has a higher budget, especially now after they've got so many new western fans into the fold.

@Malakai
No, actually, you're wrong. Dev kits didn't even get sent out until almost the end of 2015. Journalists speculate the earliest it would have been was the summer.

But even if it was earlier, you can't develop for a platform whose architecture hasn't even been finalized yet.

Read my comment. I literally just said the dev kits didn't start going out until the end of 2015. I never said that was speculation.

And you're not making sense. Dev kits go out at the end of 2015. Do you expect them to start development on a game the day after they receive it? Come on. It takes many many months of tinkering with it and seeing what it can do, testing engines, testing games...

And no, the architecture clearly was not final, otherwise how do you request a change, and get that change, if it was already written in stone? The fact they changed it proves nothing had been finalized yet. If it was finalized it would be unable to be changed.

By the time they tinkered around with it and tested their engines long enough to realize the RE engine simply wasn't going to run, it was well into 2016. By the time they requested the change and it got authorized and they actually changed it and send out a new kit, it would've been even later.

@SyntaxkitaI don't think Switch is really limiting anything though. MHXX was a 3DS port. I think they could make a game exactly like World for Switch. It might not be as pretty and the resolution might have to be at 900p as Zelda was, but they could make a MH game with interconnected maps and decent enough textures and graphics to still be a gorgeous game. It would just look like Rise of the Tomb Raider does on 360 vs Xbox One. I'm not saying this particular game could run because I don't think it could, but if a new MH game was built ground up for the system from the start, they could definitely make a comparable game. I think Switch is capable enough to allow for the type of experience they're going for now. The difference would mainly be graphical fidelity and resolution.

Unfortunately, the online will always be subpar on Nintendo thanks to their goofy voice chat restrictions. However, I will say that the online MP experience of World is the worst the series has ever seen. No way to toggle offline or disband a session. Doesn't return you to gathering hall after a quest, so you never see the people in your session until you're out on a quest with them. And worst of all the multiplayer quests are restricted by your single player progression. And if you actually try to progress online, you can't. Everyone has to have already played the quest solo (or at least watched the cutscene). It's nuts. This was supposed to be the first MH game I played online with my bro, yet it's ended up being the first MH I don't even play online much at all.

But I agree it's the best thing that's happened for the series- just because they finally decided to put a big budget behind it and remove a lot of the tedium. It moves the series forward (and it desperately needed to move forward). So any future portable game that comes to Switch, it will benefit from the blueprint and standard of quality laid out by World.

@JaxonH Thankfully, they've got the time to take feedback and fix the online for PC.

As for MH Switch, I'm sure there will be something. Can't leave those poor poor handheld people that literally can't do anything without it waiting, now can we?

"So any future portable game that comes to Switch, it will benefit from the blueprint and standard of quality laid out by World." Except that World is quite the power hungry title, as it seems, and some of these improvements may not be applicable to the Switch. If that rumour of the ground up MH is true, it may just be more of the same in regards to MH and just be dubbed "Monster Hunter Portable", so like XX but a little more polished.

I was thinking just the other day that the (probably) most logical choice would be to keep World and Generations as two branches of the franchise, with the former on PS/XB/PC and the latter on Switch;lIt’d make sense to have a subseries mainly aimed at Western gamers on home consoles, and a more “traditional” one, more catered towards the Japanese market, on Switch; and rhe subtitles World and Generations would be fitting, too.Also, a Switch entry would require less resources, and for this reason it could be more profitable than Worlds even if it sold less copies.

I tried to like Monster Hunter, but it is hard. I feel like a monster just beating up creatures that are not destroying the ecosystem or anything. Now if they were demonic creatures that need to be put down then I can handle that. The game just makes me feel that I am the one upsetting the balance of nature in order to meet my needs.

This game really is fantastic. And as much as I love Nintendo and appreciated the series on Wii, 3DS and Wii U I really do believe that the series needed to be tested on more powerful hardware for mainstream gamers to appreciate it as well. It really is a brilliant game and I'm glad it is seeing the success it deserves. Although, in saying that I'd happily pick up MHXX if Capcom would translate it, there's nothing quite like playing MH on the go.

@JaxonH You said it was speculation. It wasn't speculation. Two, in order for Capcom to request more RAM the architecture(ARM) would have had been decided already decided at the time at the time the NX was shown to 3rd parties. Considering how close Capcom was to Nintendo, you think that Nintendo would show off the prototype(s) of the NX during 2016? come on now? Furthermore, we have the Nvidia CEO, in late 2016 saying that they were working with Nintendo for the last two years! The NX development started late 2014. So, you think that Nintendo wouldn't have let Capcom know what Iwata and co were planning on until 2016? Does that make any sense? Especially, when the Switch is using an off the shelf processor?

It's all about the pennies, nothing to do with who got who where. Business is cynical. Plus there's the whole thing about the game being extremely gorgeous and massive and wouldn't fit inside the tiny Switch.

Things must move on and there is a pretty low ceiling on the switch for graphical growth - especially for more "realistic" looking fare.

Switch can do it's own thing in it's own way though. I've always found the story and mythology of the Monster Hunter world lacking - it's mostly an empty template for someone to fill with something better. Just look at Toukiden 2 - that rocked up the formula some, the only way is up. Come on Nintendo, give us a new IP with that fresh Nintendo twist - this is a stale old beast anyhoo.

@HauntedNostril suffered is a subjective matter. The gameplay is still the same. In my view the Switch versions are superior due to no framedrops and, and this is important, I can play them. I don't have time to game in front of a TV anymore. If I can't play it portable it's a lesser version from my point of view.So you could say Monster Hunter World suffered when they moved it over to a tied-to-thr-TV format. And not everyone can afford two consoles in the same generation either.

@ZimonPeople who are super concerned by framerate drop can usually afford a lot of tech. Also, It's not subjective when elements have to be hacked away at to make something fit - it is not the original vision for the intended material, so therefore it suffered.

@Malakai
Noooo, I said journalists speculated Capcom requested the change in mid 2016. NOT anything about dev kits.

And CONCEPT design started earlier. Capcom didn't ask for a change until they were ACTUALLY TESTING on dev kits, which would have been PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE before the very end of 2015, and anyone with a shred of Common Sense knows it takes a long time to test different things and they're not going to call them up 24 hours after it's delivered in the mail.

You're just believing what you WANT to believe, not what logic dictates.

The report specifically states concerns expressed by Capcom and other devs meaning dev kits had already been sent out, feedback had been coming in for a while, and then they decided to make a change.

@Bliquidits not a pile of salt at all by the way , if you actually took time to read it .... which as you clearly stated .... you didnt , in fact what he said is anti-fanboy. he said that the game is unlikely to come to switch due to the technical limitations of the console and that its actually a much better choice if it remains that way , because even if its ported it will be so stripped down it will lose its magic. then he explained that he hopes for a spin off or a port of XX ..... so please read the article befor commenting

We will probably see the return of the portable subseries, at least for Japan. I don’t think Capcom wants to leave money on the table by not releasing something for the growing Switch userbase, but the success of MHW means the main series will continue on the PS4, so the best bet would be a portable, tailor experience for Switch.

..... Or I could be dead wrong and Capcom decided that Switch development wasn’t worth the risk, and we won’t see anything. There is always a chance of that too.

Look MHWiiu looked great and played well, with voice chat. MHXX looks better but very cubist due to 3DS origins so I think they could create a blended version that's the best of both. It would naturally be MH5 switch exclusive

After seeing MHW, going to XX would be a step back. I didn’t even get in 3DS because I didn’t like the arts mechanic and it just seemed like a beefy upgrade of MH4U. I have no idea how they’d put a MH on Switch that is on par with Worlds, I just hope it isn’t an embarrassing flop that will cause Capcom to shy away from Nintendo when it comes to MH.

"...Capcom isn’t one to blow money on spin-offs when it can make a quick buck by re-releasing classic entries, a la Resident Evil on PS4/XO..."

What is the writer talking about? Just in recent years, RE: Revelations 1 and 2, Umbrella Corps, MH: Stories, MH: Cross and its expansion. Capcom make lots of AAAs, many spinoffs, and tons of ports and remasters.